Stephanie Silvermoon: The Quest for the Chariot
by Huntress of the Moon
Summary: What if Artemis one day accidentaly breaks her vow of virginity? And have a daughter who refuses to be in the hunt, preferring to be a usual half-blood instead? But even as a half-blood, she can't be normal. When you're double-unlucky...
1. People are crazy, or am I?

Hi ppl! This is my first fanfic, hope you like it. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer (Is it seriously neccessay?): **All the characters are owned by huntressofthemoon, except for Thalia, Artemis, Chiron and Mr D. And, of course, Camp Half-Blood (It's not a person, is it?)

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The buildings outside whizzed past in a blur of motion. Father was in front driving us, along with Mrs Ef Illree, to another of Mrs Ugliano's ridiculous parties which she insisted on. Mrs Illree was a cranky old octogenarian hired as Mrs Ugliano's personal maid, and took a great liking towards bullying me. Whenever I made a mistake, she would look at me real sweet and say, "Now, now Stephanie dearie.", while pointing one crooked finger at me.

What happened next was confusing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a chain of action barely discernible at its speed. Mrs Illree had mysteriously lashed a whip-like thing across father, bought out a razor-sharp talon and slashed it at the steel handles of the doors. The last thing I remembered before blacking out was a huge burst of flames, father engulfed in it…

"Are you okay? That was some accident!" A hand shook my shoulder as I stirred from unconsciousness. I was in a hospital ward, my right calf bandaged. Juniper Greenwood, my best friend from school, was standing at my bedside, her hazel eyes full of worry. I struggled to sit up and tried to recall the day's events. "Mrs Ef Iillree!" I gasped, "She-she is a monster, no, a Fury!" I probed my befuddled mind for the correct term. Juniper just shot me a puzzled look, "It was an accident! The, uh, engine over heated and exploded. Your father was," she swallowed, "Killed." I knew that father was killed, but something about the- it-was-an-accident part that did not quit convince me.

A few weeks later, after being discharged I was sitting beside Juniper in a bus on the way to the city for vacation. Her eyes never left me, as though she was my bodyguard or something. But the worst part was that, those looks often involved a you-are-gonna-get-killed expression. So, one fine day, I ran away. I was sick of the you-are-dead looks.

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Sorta short, I'll admit. But it's just a starting...


	2. I go to camp for weird kids

Hi again! Here's chapter 2. I'm trying to cram in as much chapters before my year-end exams.

**Disclaimer: **You know it.

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The best way to escape in California, if you are not a wanted convict, is to take a taxi. I flagged down one and directed the driver to go to Arizona. Seriously, it was only by gut sense did I decide to go there. When I reached there, I wandered around aimlessly for a while after buying some snacks from a nearby town. My luck struck when I spotted a girl around 16 looking at me. She had spiky black hair and stormy blue eyes with spray of freckles across her nose. Her intimidating gaze prompted me to go over to her. Grabbing my hand, she sprinted off into the woods like a deer. Good thing I was sort of athletic.

We arrived at a place which I reckoned was a camp. There were many other girls ranging from ages 8-18. All of them had something in a common-their attire was the same. The same silver denim jackets, same jeans and same bow and quiver slung over their shoulders. They all gazed quizzically at me first, then at the girl who led me here.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Thalia," she replied, "Daughter of Zeus, Lieutenant Hunter of Artemis."

I kept my questions to myself and just nodded apprehensively. After a while, we arrived at a cave and Thalia took the lead in. A girl, around 12, was sitting cross-legged on a smooth rock on the other end of the cave. She looked just like me – auburn hair, silver eyes. But something about her radiated power, like the winter moon. A bow and quiver hung on the wall behind her, along with tapestries of girls running on the forest floor, bow and arrow in position, ready to hunt. The most extraordinary thing was perhaps the silver stag sitting beside her. As she got up to greet us, the stag followed, stepping delicately with her.

"I am Artemis," she said, "Goddess of the Hunt."

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I discovered that my archery was not bad, after practicing with the other Hunters for a few days. The Hunters were actually Artemis' maiden followers who pledged against men to join her and gain immortality.

A strange animal, a cross between a man and a stallion, welcomed us at the entrance of Camp Half-blood. "Is this place for mentally-disturbed kids who do not have enough blood?" I asked the weird creature. He just laughed at my question and said, "We'd better get going. I wouldn't want to swim in a pool of diet coke again." He shuddered in revulsion.

Ahead of us, there was a huge building that vaguely reminded me of a farmhouse, although a few times more new and luxurious. The creature (which I figured was a centaur) led me into one of the larger rooms, where there was a huge magahony table and a couple of large armchairs padded with cushions.

"Sit." The centaur indicated at one of the seats and took the one beside mine. In the remaining chair, was a pudgy man, who was almost bald, except for a strand of brown hair, tied together by a purple hairband. He wore an XXXL Hawaiian shirt and shorts, with a tiger skin (or so I thought) slung across his shoulder, a can of diet coke in his left hand.

"Who is this runt, my dear centaur?" He asked disdainfully. When the centaur did not answer, he snorted in disgust, "Another one, I see. You know Chiron, they'd do better of being fed to the harpies."

"This is, ah, Mr D, Stephanie. Camp director. And I am Chiron, activities director."

"You." I muttered. "Director?" Mr D shot me a stare, his eyes boring into mine, burning a wild purplish fire. I suddenly understood. Dionysus a.k.a. Mr D rolled his eyes. "Take him away, Chiron, before I turn her into a… a SKUNK!" Alarmed, one of the satyrs beside Mr D took me by my hand and scurried out of the door.

We stopped in front of the largest cabins, which was painted a yellowish gold, lightning bolts seeming to strike at it. It struck me as some palace of some sort, all strict and formal and grand, where I should not be intruding. An eagle perched on the roof, staring down at me solemnly with his piercing amber eyes that looked almost real. The satyr stopped and asked one of the boys at the door, "Kevin, can you get Edward for me?" He looked up from a book, with words written in weird curvy symbols. I had a feeling I knew them. A boy my age stepped out of the door. He looked a lot like the other one. Tanned skinned, shaggy raven-black hair that almost came down to his eyes, shocking electric-blue eyes that seemed both intimidating and friendly. A stark contrast from my pale skin (I'm half-albino), slightly-wavy magahony hair that came down to my waist and my genuine silver eyes. I paused, unsure of what to do.

By then, the satyr had scampered away. The boy stuck out his hand and I took it. He shaked my hand and introduced, "I'm Edward, Chief Counselor. Apparently because I've stayed here longer than most other campers." His eyes twinkled and surveyed me as I made my introductions. He took me around the camp, pointing out things while I stayed quiet, only nodding once in a while. Lastly, he took me to a shabby cabin with peeled paint, loose hingers and a picture of a caduceus on the roof. I was only here because I was undetermined right? Sigh.

That evening, we gathered in the pavilion for dinner. I was about to sink my teeth into a slice of pepperoni pizza when I saw everyone else getting up from their seats with their plates. A girl beside me with elfish features explained that it was to burn offering for their godly parent. It was either the cheesiest butter roll, or the crispiest brisket, or the juiciest strawberry. When it was my turn, I tossed in a slice of pizza and prayed, "Please tell me who you are.' I looked around to see everybody staring mesmerized at me. I followed their gaze and looked above my head: a silvery crescent moon was spinning and fading.

"Hail, Stephanie Silvermoon," Chiron said, "Daughter of the Moon Goddess."

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Till te next Chapter, folks! PLEASE R & R. Even you, guys!


	3. I refuse immortality

The following few days in Camp was like a routine. First, I got Greek lesson from a camper from the Aphrodite cabin, Samantha, who was friendly (apart from the fact that she was pestering me to put on make-up). Greek wasn't that hard (at least it was a teeny weeny bit better than English).

Next, I had rock-climbing with the satyrs (they weren't good at it; it was just because they were very scared of the lava, which mad them go fast). I was okay, due to the fact that I had long flexible limbs I inherited from my mum (Artemis). Foot-racing was easy, it was as though the wind carried me along. After lunch, I had sword-fighting at the arena. Soon, we (me and Edward, he's the instructor) discovered that I was much better with a spear, even managing to disarm him.

Wrestling with the Ares campers was… fun? It was fun watching them toppling over when I sneaked out from the bottom, but it was NOT fun when they crashed themselves on me. At least I had the advantage of agility. The best was masters' archery with Chiron. I hit the mark every single time, unlike the Apollo campers who had to squint at the target before releasing. Why can't they get the idea that you just have to flow with the arrow (figuratively, duh!).

When I went to bed in Cabin 8, which was glowing silver, I had a weird dream. I dreamt that a twelve year-old girl was chasing me, brown hair flying neatly in her wake, feet skimming over the grassy forest floor, hardly touching it. It went on forever. Until we reached a huge oak tree with a gleaming stag waiting, a group of girls standing with bows and arrows. The girl chasing me stopped. She turned to me, saying, "Meet me at the woods." I woke up. Her words rang in my head clearly. Meet me at the woods. The girl was Artemis.

I sneaked out of the cabin quietly. Sure enough, at the woods, concealed by trees, was a group of girls. Hunters. My mum. The virgin. My heart sank. Artemis stepped out from the crowd and led the way to their camp, the hunters falling in neatly behind her. Once we reached there, she dismissed the hunters, who were staring at me incredulously, leaving only me and Thalia. Beckoning us into the biggest tent, she took a seat on a smooth silvery rock at one end and we sat on the earthen ground.

"Would you want to join me and the hunters?" Artemis asked calmly. Me? Join the Hunters? "Yes?" Artemis prompted. I hesitated. It meant that I would be receiving more stares. But I would join my mum and be immortal. What about my friends at camp? Samantha. _Edward._ I had to leave them and join a group of high-school girls forever? No, a voice in me protested. "No." I echoed aloud. Artemis sighed, as though expecting my response to be that.

"Very well. Thalia, dawn is approaching. Break camp." She indicated me to seat beside her and continued, after Thalia had gone, "I know, child. I was afraid it to be like that. Before you go, have this." She took from the wall a bow and a quiver of arrows. She breathed on it, and the wood turned silver, glowing with the moon's magic. She gave it to me. "These arrows, they are made of celestial bronze. They never run out, and will feel as light as air when you carry them. And this." Artemis paused. She scanned around the room with her sharp and bright eyes. Was I like that? She got up lightly and gracefully loped over to the other end of the tent. In her hands were a set of clothes. A dark-blue shirt, with the word "Wild" on it in silver cursive handwriting, a silver-coloured sleeveless denim jacket with a collar and two pockets, and a pair of blue tight-fitting jeans.

Artemis handed it to me. It was the uniform of the Hunters, I realised. She told me that the jacket and jeans were made of the Nemean Lion pelt, which was impenetrable and soft. As I held the stuff in my hands, the bow and quiver changed into a silvery crescent moon locket, with a thin thread. A necklace. I put it around my neck and it felt cool on my skin.

"Thanks mu-Lady Artemis." Artemis smiled gently, almost tenderly at me. Before I left, she whispered, her voice like silvery wind-chimes, alike mine (I was in the choir), "Remember that you are loved, always, as constant as the stars above."


	4. A quest? No way!

I groaned as another way of golden light shone through the window. Pushing aside my silvery blanket, I got out of my bed in Cabin 8, Artemis. It was a few days after my claiming and I had moved into Cabin 8. When I exited the cabin, a most unexpected sight greeted me. The sun and moon seemed to be fighting. The sun would come up, and then the moon will take its place, and so on. Puzzled, I headed towards the Big House where Chiron resided.

"So, Apollo blamed Artemis for stealing his chariot." Chiron concluded. I nodded, digesting the information. Basically, Apollo's chariot was stolen and he apparently blamed my mum, which means that I have to go on a quest to get back the chariot on my mother's behalf.

"But why can't the gods settle it themselves?!" I cried, in a desperate attempt to escape the quest.

"Gods cannot enter each other's territory without invitation," Chiron explained gently, "only heroes can challenge anyone if they dare to."

However, both Chiron and I suspected it was Hades. Firstly, he had apparently sent one of his Furies from the Fields of Punishment, Mrs. Ef after me. After all, he did not have a place on the Olympus and was always trying to gain more this way or another.

"Oracle?" Chiron stared at me hesitantly. I got up, swallowed, and left.

I paid a visit to the unearthly Oracle in the attic. As I approached her, a ghostly voice chanted:

_Three shall go to where thee need nerve_

_And shall be saved by human love_

_A phobia's force must one withstand_

_One shall suffer by a monster's hand_

Not too friendly, by the looks of it. I didn't even bother to report to Chiron. Instead, I headed for the pavilion.

"Wanna come along for a quest?" I asked Samantha and Edward, glumly. It was your typical everything-is-going-wrong day. It was after dinner, one of the rare moments when you are not getting pulverised by some Ares camper in wrestling, almost burnt by steaming hot lava while scaling some 10-feet high stone wall, chased by monsters-well, you get the idea.

"What was that?" Samantha asked, eyes wide.

"A quest? I'm in!" Edward flashed me a grin, nudging Samantha, "What about you? Too chicken?"

"Ahem, do you know who you're speaking to, son of Zeus?"

"Of course I do, your highness!" Edward mocked a salute, muttering under his breath, "Filthy, unworthy daughter of Aphrodite."

"Yes Edward?" Samantha smiled sweetly, "What was that last bit?"

I sighed and got up. Usually, I would have been the most active participant in bickering. Perhaps I inherited it from my mum, Artemis, who was constantly arguing with Apollo. We took our separate paths, going back to our respective cabins. I was about to enter the Hermes cabin to join Rebecca, one of my first friends in camp, but abruptly veered away to head for cabin 8. I was claimed, wasn't I?


	5. Author's note

**Author's note**

I've decided to discontinue this story for the time-being, due to the fact that I've run out of ideas and that I'm busy working on my other story: New Hope. I won't mind if you check out that one too, though. If you _do _continue reviewing, I might consider continuing this story.

Thanks to all those who stuck with me throughout and reviewed, it really means a lot to me.

Until then, _Adios Amigo_! (I'm not Spanish)

Huntress of the Moon


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